“This too shall pass” 🩵

My story

It’s crazy to me when I think back to how this all started.

In 2010, I’d had the usual gallstones, attacks and hospital admissions, and finally my gallbladder got infected and it had to be taken out. I remember that pain and thinking, even after giving birth three times, that the pain of an infected gallbladder walked all over any of my childbirths, and thinking I hope I never have to face that awful pain again. And then one evening I began having what I compared to having that infected gallbladder again. The pain made me collapse and pass out, and I woke up on a stretcher in an ambulance and WOW, that was the start of what’s become, and still is, the most pain I have ever been faced with.

After my two month stay in hospital trying to find out what was wrong with me, and numerous gastro doctors scratching their heads, a very talented consultant explained to me that he thought I had SOD. I remember laughing with him about how ironic the diagnosis name was, and how it presented itself as a sod also, haha. I am so grateful that consultant had been to a convention the week before and had been introduced to this rare condition that’s often misdiagnosed. That one informative meeting was the icing on the cake that he needed, so after numerous tests and scans I was diagnosed with Type 2.

I was also introduced to the perfect consultant, who from the get go understood, was compassionate and has done more for me as a doctor than any other NHS employee ever has. He carried out Botox to the muscle, which has helped me each time for at least three months at a time, and I have been pain free for those months. Although it’s not a long term fix, I could never thank this man enough for all he has done for me and all of the patients in our community. If you are from the UK you will already know the name of the consultant I am referring to.

During my time with this sod (in name and nature) of a condition I have lost friends, and I lost myself in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I got to a position where I didn’t recognise myself. Since Botox was introduced to me, I have slowly started to repair the mental and physical torture that this condition has had on me. Without the support of my partner, my mom and my mother in law, I don’t think I would have coped.

It has been the most crazy, scary, heartbreaking and frustrating journey I’ve been on, and I still continue on it. We are a family of survivors, and I pride myself on helping and giving support to any of you reading this. There are better days coming, and remember:

“This too shall pass” 🩵